Today we are going to talk about a type of mushroom that is buried in the ground, just like the Terfezia arenaria. This is the Terfezia Claveryi. It is known by the common name of turma, criadilla and desert truffle. One of the characteristics for which this mushroom stands out is that it is a good edible but it is difficult to collect.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you about all the characteristics, habitat, properties and collection of Terfezia claveryi.
Key features
Carpophorus and peridium
We are used to dividing mushrooms into hat, foot, slices and meat, but in this type of mushroom we cannot do the same division. We begin to establish the characteristics of the Terfezia Claveryi by the carpophorus. The carpophorus usually reaches a considerable size and some specimens with an approximate diameter of about 15 centimeters have been collected. There are desert troops that can weigh up to half a kilo. However, the most normal thing is that we are continuously collecting various specimens that They have a carpophor diameter that ranges between 5 and 10 cm.
The shape of this carpophor is quite irregular and in some we can find some protrusions or be lobed. Sometimes we can see that they have a turbine shape as if they resemble a spinning top and present at the base of an area that is not fertile. This non-fertile area serves these conical appendage mushrooms. In order to recognize this mushroom we must also analyze the color. Although it has a variable color, the predominant one is brown with different shades. The variety of these nuances depends on the degree of maturation of the specimen. If the youngest specimen will have salmon or pink tones with some reddish hues. However, when the specimen is adult it will tend to blacken.
Regarding its period we can see that it is of an intermediate thickness. If we make a cross section of a desert truffle specimen we will see that the peridium is between 1 and 2mm thick and with pink or whitish tones. In some specimens we see that the peridium has a cinnamon color although externally it has a smooth texture and may crack or blacken as they age. These are small nuances that can help us to differentiate the age of the mushrooms and, therefore, their edibility.
Gleba and meat
The gleba of Terfezia claveryi is compact and hard with a fleshy appearance. You can see several intermixed areas: a fertile area and a sterile one. These two intermixed areas give the mushroom an intervened appearance. The color of both areas depends on the maturation of the mushroom. When the specimen is young, its sterile part has a whitish color and the fertile part is pink. As the mushroom develops and reaches maturity it can be seen that it is acquiring salmon tones and at the end reddish brown to blackish. When we see that the specimen is fully mature, its fertile part is the one that prevails. On the other hand, its sterile part decreases as it matures until it becomes small veins that can barely be seen with the naked eye.
As for the meat of this mushroom, it is compact and solid. Although it has a very pleasant smell, it is not a very strong smell. The taste is quite pleasant and reminiscent of dried fruits.
Habitat of the Terfezia Claveryi
As we mentioned at the beginning, it is a more complicated species of mushroom to collect. This is because it bears fruit in clay or sandy soils and is found underground. Usually has a preference for those soils with basic pH and is linked to plants of the genus Helianthemum. This mushroom has a mycorrhizal relationship with these plants and they are popularly called the mother plant.
The area of distribution of the Terfezia Claveryi it extends in our peninsula in the eastern part of Andalusia and the southeastern peninsular in general. It is well known in Morocco, in the rest of North Africa and in the Middle East.
In order to look for the desert truffle, we must know that it usually grows in groups and emerges from the ground a bit as it is a semi-hypogeal species. The time of appearance and growth is in spring along with the rest of spring mushrooms.
Possible confusions of Terfezia claveryi
Although these types of mushrooms are weirder to see, there are also some main confusions that can make every picker have trouble differentiating. It is considered a good quality edible and is usually collected in the areas where it bears fruit. There are also people who grow them in some places and can fetch remarkable prices in the market in lean years.
They depend on rainfall and humidity to be able to develop, so in the driest years we can see that the number of individuals is much lower. One of the main confusions is with the Terfezia leptoderma. The main difference they have from each other is that this species has a much finer peridium and always fructifies linked to Tubaria guttata. As expected, it is also confused with the species Terfezia arenaria belonging to the same gender. They have a great resemblance although it has a thicker peridium and it also appears linked to the tuberaria guttata in western areas of the peninsula that have acid soils.
Although we can confuse this species with other similar ones, there is not so much risk of confusion since the similar mushrooms for which it can be confused are also good edibles. Here there is no risk of confusing a mushroom with another toxic one.
One of the ways to be able to search for them more easily is to analyze well the small cracks in the ground that are betraying their presence. To do this, it is necessary to have good eyesight and is always attentive to the terrain. Although they tend to grow in semi arid climates, they need rains to be able to develop. They especially use the rains of August and September and those of January and February.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Terfezia Claveryi.